Setting the future for Mediterranean aquaculture – Aquaculture Europe event to be held for the first time in Greece.
To be held in Rhodes, Greece, from October 18-21, Aquaculture Europe 2011, the annual conference, organized by the European Aquaculture Society (EAS) will address vital questions affecting the development of Mediterranean aquaculture over the next decade. It will provide reviews of the importance of aquaculture in EU food production; the sustainability of aquaculture feeds and the implementation of selective breeding strategies in aquaculture. An overview of current EU-funded research programmes will highlight their relevance to current and future production practices. As usual, the conference will include an international trade show, a Farmers day and a Student workshop and provides a platform to showcase European initiatives in Aquaculture.
Aquaculture Europe 2011 will be hosted by The Federation of Greek Maricultures (FGM) and the Hellenic Centre for Marine Research (HCMR).
Showcasing Greece and Turkey
Greece is the land of the twelve Olympian gods, the cradle of Western civilization, the birthplace of sciences, philosophy, history and drama - and one of the leading aquaculture producers in the Mediterranean region. With total production in the region at more than 250.000 tonnes from the more than 1 billion fry stocked in Mediterranean waters, Greece and Turkey are the main producing countries, followed by Spain and Italy.
Greece and Turkey are also the major centres for juvenile production. Three “mega hatcheries" with over 50 million juveniles operate in Greece and Turkey and account for 20% of total production in the region. The 28 Greek and the 18 Turkish hatcheries therefore have major production themselves, but also import fry from Italy and France.
Although Greece has a lower per capita consumption of seafood products than Portugal, Spain, France or Italy, the percentage of this consumption represented by sea bass and sea bream is the highest in the region (10.4%). The reliance on these two key species has led to market challenges in recent years and the opportunity for Mediterranean aquaculture is to expand consumption (of bass and bream) in the high fish consumption countries and to diversify the products for the more demanding markets of northern Europe. With good spatial planning, increased production of other fish (marine and freshwater) and shellfish species and especially in the southern and eastern Mediterranean over the next 10 years may also be expected.
Sitting between the two undisputed leaders in Mediterranean aquaculture, Rhodes is ideally situated for Aquaculture Europe 2011.
Plenary presentations
The thematic sessions take place each morning of AE2011 and are plenary sessions. International speakers will present these thematic sessions that “open the debate" and pave the way for the parallel, technical sessions of contributed presentations in both oral and poster format. Three plenary sessions are planned:
• Importance of aquaculture for EU food production. A vision for the 2020 status of aquaculture in the Mediterranean and its role in providing high quality safe food for European citizens. The presentation will address the development of production in terms of sites, species and technologies to better balance the current trade deficit.
• Nutrition and feeding. An overview of recent and required developments in the feeding of species cultivated in Mediterranean waters.
• Selective breeding. Lessons learned from terrestrial animals and the status of the implementation of selective breeding programmes in (Mediterranean) aquaculture.
More information on the plenary speakers will be provided on the conference web site.
Parallel sessions and abstract submission
Online abstract submission is now open for AE2010 and authors wishing to present their results in oral or poster format are invited to submit abstracts prior to the April 15 deadline. Box 1 shows the full list of sessions open for abstract submission. Abstract submission will continue to be available after the deadline, although the session moderators will already have started to select the best oral and poster presentations at that time, so you are strongly advised to submit on time.
Other events
AE2011, as all Aquaculture Europe events, is a platform for exchange of ideas and communications on the development of aquaculture. The AE2011 International Trade Event will showcase new products and services offered to the aquaculture sector. Companies wishing to exhibit should contact Mario Stael (Mario.Stael@Scarlet.be) for more information
The EAS Student Group will also be organising another of its very successful student forums and a field trip around the conference.
The Research Directorate General of the European Commission will also host another of the EU FORUMS, where latest European research initiatives will be presented and where delegates can discuss with Commission representatives about future research plans.
Finally, other European networks, projects and initiatives will present their activities at AE2011.
The conference centre
AE2011 will take place at the Rodos Palace Luxury Convention Resort, located just 12 km from Rhodes Diagora international airport. Rhodes can be reached directly from many European and international airports, or through Athens, and is only a short boat trip from the main aquaculture production sites in Turkey. The island is well known for the warmth of its welcome, its magnificent natural beauty and climate, its monuments and historical sites, as well as for its gastronomy.
With its 785 rooms, the Rodos Palace resort provides excellent, exceptionally stylish accommodation with top-class conference and exhibition facilities that will make a very positive contribution to the success of AE2011. Our local agent, FREI TRAVEL has also lined up other accommodation for all budgets, as well as tours to local sights and to fish farms on the island.
